In today’s episode of Shit Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You, hosts Cathy Chen and Meredith Herrera tackle the growing reality of “boomerang kids”—young adults who return home after college and struggle to relaunch into independence. Cathy and Meredith unpack the emotional tug-of-war parents face as they try to be supportive without enabling, especially in today’s challenging economic and digital job landscape. From setting clear financial expectations and timelines to redefining household responsibilities, they explore how parents can encourage growth without making home life too comfortable. This episode offers candid insight into drawing the line between support and stagnation, and how honest communication and smart boundaries can help a temporary return home stay just that: temporary.

Key Points From This Episode:

• [0:00:50] Today’s topic of conversation: The Boomerang Effect.
• [0:01:50] A High School Cheer by Cathy Chen.
• [0:02:30] Why this is happening now, more than ever before.
• [0:04:10] The proverbial “rock and a hard place” for parents.
• [0:05:50] Turning the dial up on the home discomfort.
• [0:07:40] How the economy and job market are affecting our post-college kids.
• [0:09:30] The parent strategy: reset conversations, an established timeline, and boundaries.
• [0:13:00] The “real life” Wrinkle and how to navigate gaining professional skills in this market.
• [0:18:30 Parents fearing the complacency.
• [0:20:00] The lever for parents: financial control.
• [0:21:25] Meredith shares her thoughts on the difference between support and enabling.
• [0:22:55] What the bottom line looks like.
• [0:23:20] The difference between a launched kid at home and a boomerang kid.
• [0:25:30] Get those boomerangs out there!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You

Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You on Instagram

Is pushing your child to maximize their potential 24/7 doing more harm than good? On Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You, hosts Kathy and Meredith dig into the tension between kids who feel content and parents who keep pushing for more. They challenge the idea that success equals constant achievement, unpacking how that mindset fuels anxiety and fragility. Real growth, they argue, comes from balancing ambition with knowing when “enough” is enough. Tune in to hear why contentment isn’t a lack of drive, what life actually looks like for students who are always “maximizing their potential,” and how parents can model a healthier, more realistic version of “good enough.”

Key Points From This Episode:

• [0:01:10] Listeners are introduced to today’s topic: contentment vs. potential.
• [0:02:50] Unwittingly training never-satisfied adults.
• [0:04:10] What is enough for our kids?
• [0:05:05] Conflating contentment with lack of ambition: check the facts.
• [0:06:50] The pressure to help kids discover what’s out there.
• [0:08:00] What we see with students who “Maximize their potential”.
• [0:08:50] When parents should pay attention.
• [0:10:45] Coaching versus controlling your kids.
• [0:12:30] The danger of narrowly defining potential.
• [0:15:40] Understanding what value is driving our high standards.
• [0:17:20] Why you can have it all, just not all at once.
• [0:17:55] Where parents can demonstrate “good enough” contentment.
• [0:18:25] Areas where Meredith and Cathy are going to practice more contentment this week.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You

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Are you helping your teen or quietly running their life for them? In this episode, Cathy and Meredith unpack the subtle but common ways parents overcompensate for their teenagers and how that can unintentionally hinder the development of important life skills. They walk through the various real-world examples of excessive support, why encouraging independence and problem-solving skills in teens is essential, what drives parents to overcompensate, and a practical way for parents to check if they are doing too much. They also explore how providing too much support can prevent teens from learning essential life skills, how to shift from being a fixer/manager to actually being supportive of your teenager, and how to know when it is the right time to step in. Join the conversation to learn how to spot overparenting in the moment, provide healthier support, and help your teen build confidence. Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [0:01:26] Outline of today’s topic and what listeners can expect from the episode.
• [0:02:49] Hear why emailing/texting on a teen’s behalf is a clear sign of overparenting.
• [0:04:25] What do to when your teenager asks you to communicate on their behalf.
• [0:05:47] How to know the difference between managing your teen and supporting them.
• [0:08:31] Explore how the need to manage often reflects the parent’s own anxiety.
• [0:09:45] A pattern where teens constantly seek approval and how parents reinforce it.
• [0:11:37] Discover why it is vital that teens overcome challenges on their own.
• [0:14:31] Uncover how to provide support while letting your teen learn important life skills.
• [0:15:14] Why repeated check-ins and reminders are clear signs of overparenting.
• [0:17:00] Find out how to know when it is the right time to step in and help your teen.
• [0:19:49] Unpack how a parent’s behavior toward staff can indirectly impact their teen.
• [0:21:50] Final takeaways and closing comments.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

‘Why Nagging Your Teen Doesn’t Work (and What to Do Instead)'

Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You

Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You on Instagram